Gear
Bear Canisters: Which Fit in Which Packs, Where You Need Them, and How to Pack One
So you need to bring a bear canister on your next backpacking trip. Find out how to be comfortable while keeping your food and bears safe.
![[Book Review] The Trail is the Teacher: Living and Learning on the Appalachian Trail](https://is.thetrek.co/w600-h400-cfill/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/22150801/clay-book.jpg)
[Book Review] The Trail is the Teacher: Living and Learning on the Appalachian Trail
Clay Bonnyman Evans's new book about his Appalachian Trail hike—The Trail Is the Teacher: Living and Learning on the Appalachian Trail—is a delightful read, filled with trail icons, trail characters,
Southbound Thru-Hikers: The Appalachian Trail Hiker Survey
Since I finished my Appalachian Trail (AT) thru-hike in 2014, I’ve been working with The Trek to survey thru-hikers each year. Most of the hikers who take our surveys are...
Gear Review: Big Agnes Torchlight UL 20-Degree Sleeping Bag
In this strange, virus-infected spring, I find myself swooning to a new love, the Big Agnes Torchlight UL 20º, sent to The Trek for review. Though not able to road-test...
Top Stoves and Filters: The 2019 Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker Survey
We surveyed 365 section or thru-hikers about their stove, food, and water preferences and their experience of illnesses on the Appalachian Trail in 2019. We found some interesting differences in
Top Backpacks: The 2019 Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker Survey
In this installment of The Trek’s 2019 Hiker Survey, we cover backpacks and base weight. We asked hikers about the frame type, capacity, brand, and model of their backpacks. This...
How to Pack a Backpack for Thru-Hiking
So you’ve got all this gear ready to go… but now what? While out backpacking, everything that you need is carried on your back, in this pack. You’ll pack and...
Introducing the 2020 Badger Sponsorship Winners
This year, The Trek is revamping the Badger Sponsorship to support eight 2020 thru-hikers with altruistic intentions. We searched for aspiring PCT, AT, CDT, or other long trail hikers who...
Top Sleeping Bags and Pads: The 2019 Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker Survey
In 2019, we surveyed 365 section and thru-hikers who were on the Appalachian Trail (AT) . We asked these hikers about the sleeping bags they used, as well as quilts...
2019 Appalachian Trail Thru-Hiker Survey: Top Tents and Shelters
Each year, The Trek surveys long-distance hikers on the Appalachian Trail (AT) regarding the shelter systems they use, such as tents and hammocks. In this post we cover the types...